The invention relates to a method of introducing a leak detection dye composition into a climate control system, and a system for introducing the dye composition into the system.
Leak detection methods have been developed to analyze fluid systems, such as climate control systems, i.e., heating, cooling, ventilating, and air conditioning systems, for leaks using dyes. Some methods employ emissive substances, such as, for example, fluorescent or phosphorescent dyes that are added to the refrigerants and/or lubricants of a climate control system. Suitable leak detection dyes include a naphthalimide dye, a perylene dye, a thioxanthane dye, a coumarin dye, or a fluorescein dye, and derivatives thereof.
Leaks can be detected by observing light emission from the dye at leak sites resulting from excitation of the dye with a light source having particular illumination characteristics (e.g., at wavelengths suitable to excite the dye and cause light emission from the dye). In general, the dyes emit brightly when excited by light in the 190 to 700 nanometer wavelength range.